Please Dote on Me - Novelbike

“This guy still wants… Didn’t you seriously say you’ve been crushing on You Fangyu for a long time? After finally getting her, why act so tough?”

Wen Rou Jing tried to shift the narrative, turning his long-standing crush on You Fangyu into her secretly liking him first. But I easily called him out on his nonsense. He was so embarrassed he nearly fainted, and after leaning against the wall to steady himself, he awkwardly wiped away his sweat.

Isn’t love about mutual care for each other?

So why must there be a competition in love?

Why do we want to know whether the other person loves us more or if we love them more? The pursuit of such answers might stem from a deep self-love, or perhaps from loving so intensely that we desire the same response from the other person?

Wen Rou Jing’s sweet romance was unfolding, while, at the same time, another person was frantically looking for me: Fan Hexin.

When he appeared before me, his scarf was dusted with snowflakes.

“Your phone was unreachable. Weren’t we supposed to celebrate the New Year together like a couple?” Fan Hexin asked.

“Yes.” My response was affirmative, but it didn’t carry an ounce of sweetness or surprise.

As I walked down the street with Fan Hexin, the time was approaching midnight.

“I want to go buy two cups of coffee,” I said to Fan Hexin. I knew he would likely say, “Let me go.” But before he could even speak, I rushed across the street ahead of him.

I could never have predicted that as I stepped out with my coffee, a speeding motorcycle would come hurtling towards me. I closed my eyes in resignation, bracing for impact, but it never came. Instead, I was pushed aside with great force by Fan Hexin, who then took the full brunt of the collision himself. It wasn’t until I saw him crash to the ground from mid-air that I realized what had happened.

I was too terrified to scream. The moment Fan Hexin hit the ground, he looked as lifeless as a plastic mannequin. I scrambled over to him; he was lying there with his eyes tightly shut, his face contorted in pain. I was too frightened to do anything; I just stood there, frozen. When he opened his eyes and looked at me, he managed a weak, forced smile and took sharp, hissing breaths, barely getting out the words, “Damn, it hurts. Call 120¹.”

The accident resulted in a fractured forearm for Fan Hexin.

Given the severity of the crash, just a broken arm seemed almost miraculous. I admit, I felt heartless for planning to tell him as soon as possible that I still couldn’t be his girlfriend, even after this.

Seeing Fan Hexin’s arm in a cast, I felt that any expression of gratitude, guilt, or any other emotion would be excessive and pretentious. I wanted to smile at him, but my eyebrows and mouth couldn’t coordinate; my lips were twisted in a grimace, despite trying to smile.

“I’m fine,” Fan Hexin said, trying to comfort me instead. He thought I would break down in tears and give him a big hug. But I coldly replied, “Fan Hexin, let’s just end this.” As soon as the words left my lips, the air in the hospital room turned into an awkward cloud.

“Why?” Fan Hexin’s voice was filled with disbelief and reluctance, clearly puzzled by my decision. His eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“Qi Yang! Do you even have a heart? How can you say such a thing to him at a time like this?” Wen Rou Jing walked away without looking back, his silhouette seeming to express his disappointment.

“Because I love Gu Yuzui, you know that.” My tone was even colder as I stared at the floor, unwilling to meet Fan Hexin’s gaze. I didn’t expect him to react calmly; I was waiting for his curse words, thinking that even if he swore at me, I would never respond-even hoping, in a way, that he would hurl some ugly words my way.

“I would do anything for you. I would crash into a car for you; I would even give up my life for you. What can he do for you? What has he done for you? You love him so much. He does nothing for you, and yet you still love him.” Fan Hexin was deeply hurt, nearing desperation. His voice carried an undertone of despair and helplessness. The bright liquid in his eyes dimmed, and they glimmered with a cold light, like streetlights about to go out just before dawn.

“But I love him,” I replied in a calm tone, speaking slowly.

It was precisely because Fan Hexin could do so much for me that I truly realized how he felt about me. He genuinely could do a lot for me, which meant I couldn’t continue to be heartless.

After making my feelings clear to Fan Hexin, I didn’t make a single gesture of concern while he was healing. In fact, I didn’t visit him again.

Before he even fully recovered, he told me he had decided to leave the city. He was tired of his job.

Holding a box containing a digital photo album, I stood at the door of Fan Hexin’s house, my stiff, numb hand trembling as I knocked.

Fan Hexin opened the door, looked at me, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn’t say anything and retreated to his room to continue packing.

Leaning against the shoe cabinet in the foyer, I unnecessarily asked, “Are you really sure you want to leave?”

Fan Hexin, putting on his shoes, looked up at me, an expression of feigned surprise on his face. “I’m really leaving this time. Wen Rou Jing is completely yours now.”

He’s leaving Wen Rou Jing to me? When did I ever ask him to take care of Wen Rou Jing for me?

“Well… whatever. I’ll feel a lot more at ease after you leave. Look, you’re already putting on your shoes. If I had come a little later, you would have already left. You don’t want to wait just to see me one last time, do you? Since you’re in such a rush, just hurry up and go.”

Even as Fan Hexin was about to leave, I spoke to him like this, and I didn’t express an ounce of guilt.

Fan Hexin paused mid-shoe-tying. He looked up at me, and I met his gaze. His chocolate-colored face held an expression of resolve, his brow subtly furrowed, showing a hint of sadness that was almost imperceptible.

He had been so good to me, and now he was looking at me with hopeful eyes, silently wishing I would ask him to stay. He had a deep affection for me. Additionally, he was incredibly forgiving; he didn’t resent me at all, not even for the hurt I caused him while I was being selfish in the hospital.

“Here, this is for you. All the photos you’ve taken for me are in this digital album.” I couldn’t hold his gaze any longer; the awkwardness was too much. I quickly shifted the light away from his face, trying to speak casually as I handed him the gift box containing the digital album.

“I don’t want it,” he said, pushing the box away like a child who stubbornly rejects a toy.

“Suit yourself,” I replied, placing the album on the shoe cabinet.

The corners of Fan Hexin’s mouth twitched involuntarily, indicating he was affected by my words. “Qi Yang, don’t you feel at all like you owe me something?”

I pretended not to hear him, resolutely turning away and escaping his line of sight, feeling his gaze bore into my back.

“Qi Yang, you’re so indifferent to love. You can consider dating other people, so why can’t you just date me?” Fan Hexin had asked me this before, especially when I was completely abandoned by Gu Yuzui and was frequently talking about wanting a boyfriend.

Because, Fan Hexin, I know you genuinely like me. Or perhaps you truly love me.

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